Forgive Me While I Pout

My first race of the year was supposed to be this weekend. It was supposed to be my first half marathon. But, due to my back injury, that got nixed. So, I settled on a new race. It's called Run WITH the Law and it benefits the Special Olympics. It's a very small race (only 1.6 miles), it isn't being sanctioned by any of the local running groups. There aren't fancy chip timers and aid stations. But, it is for a good cause and we are only the second city in Kansas to take part. And guess what? I, being the golden child I am, have managed to come down with an upper respiratory infection just days before. Loverly. So, no running for me. I will still participate because I had some gracious donors. But, it won't count towards my 12 in 12.

On a happier note, I would like to wish all of my friends luck who are participating in marathons and half marathons from Canada to Oklahoma City and many places in between. You are all inspirations and maybe one day I can grow up and be like you!

In a Funk

I wish I had some great news to tell. I wish I had something inspiring to say. I wish I had a running report. But, I have none of these things. Apparently, I am in a running funk. I WANT to get out there and run my arse off, but I have no motivation. I get home in the mornings, take the kids to school and am just too exhausted to get myself back out the door. When I started this insanity back in July I would go out at 3 am. Yes, for real. I work third shift, so 3am is when I took my "lunch". I didn't have to deal with people on the track pointing and laughing...er...being in the way, so it was perfect. When I started running longer distances and wanted to get away from running in circles, traffic was minimal and all I had to worry about was my officers jumping out and scaring me. But, now I work by myself most nights, so I don't get a lunch break. And when I do, it's been too cold to get out. Now, instead of being conditioned to get out every day, I am sunk into the funk. Yuck. I have my first race the end of this month and am nowhere near ready for it. It's only a little over a mile, but it might as well be marathon. I don't know why this has become so daunting to me; why something I enjoy has become something I can't get into. I read all of these race reports from my friends or other bloggers and get pumped. Then I get home and it fizzles. I've bought books on how to coach myself and how to run better and faster and smarter, but I find myself distracted when I start to read them. I want to be excited to run again. I want my body to start getting antsy as 3am approaches because it knows that freedom is near. But here I sit; sunk in my funk and not sure how to get out.

Can I Get a Mulligan?

A do-over? Yes? Thank you! I am so thankful that when it comes to exercising and working out that even when I slack, I have a chance to start over; to try again. I started out my 21 days with great intentions. But,things didn't quite end up like I had planned. I'm not going to make excuses. I just screwed up. Don't get me wrong, I have been doing stuff. Just not running like I should. I have been doing a mini bootcamp 3 days a week and Zumba (LOVE) 1 day. But my running has suffered. Then it dawned on me that I have my first race in two weeks. Oops. Granted, it is only like 1.2 miles. It's a great new race called "Run WITH the Law" and it benefits the Special Olympics of Kansas. We are only the second city in the state to participate in it. I am still in need of donations to meet my goal, so if you are in the giving mood please click on my link!

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/marissa-wood/2011-derby-run-with-the-law

So, today I will (once again) start over.

A Fork in the Road

Last week I hit a fork in my training. I was doing well on my 21-day plan, but the fork got in the way. On Friday I took my physical agility test for police officer. Yeah...not in as good of shape as I thought. I still passed (yay me!), but not by much. I was told afterwards that I needed to work on sprints and weight training, especially for my upper body. Well, crap. I wanted to train for distances longer than a block. So, now I don't know what to do. I know I need to sprint and I need to increase my upper body strength so I don't get injured at the academy. I don't want to be bulky, though. I still want to practice my distance running, too. Ugh! Why does someone have to throw down a damn fork in the middle of my road???

Starting Over

SUCKS!!! That is all. Continue on with your day.

Creating a Habit

So, I have been slacking. I keep finding one reason or another to not go to the gym or do a video at home. Time to snap out of it! I have read that it only takes 21 days to create a habit. Hmm...there are so many directions I could go with that. I don't imagine that it would take me 21 days of eating cookies to make it a habit. I know for sure that back in my bad girl smoking days it didn't take 21 days for me to form a habit. So, if it is so danged easy to form a habit for bad things, why am I finding it so hard to form this good habit??? So, here and now I am setting a goal. I WILL exercise for the next 21 days. And, it will be for at least half an hour (but hopefully more). If we have another "Blizzard of Oz", I will do my Shred. If the ground isn't frozen, I will get my butt outside and off the freaking dreadmill. If the weather is crappy, I will learn to appreciate the dreadmill. I will learn to embrace the senior citizens at the gym; the ones who take up the already too small track and the old man who stares at my ass while I am on the elliptical. I hope that when I am their age I am still out and as for the old man, at least SOMEONE is staring at my ass. (And NOT pointing and laughing. Or maybe he is. I choose to think not.) And really, what is 212 days? It's less than a month. And if I am ever going to compete in a half marathon, hitting the gym once or twice a week just won't cut it. I have been checking out the local race calendars and started making my "wishlist". But right now those 5K's even look daunting. But I have a feeling that if I make it these 21 days, it'll be the push I need. Oh...and more to come on a possible half marathon. Get ready to break out your checkbooks!

And....I'm Back!

Thought you lost me, didn't ya? Well, you aren't so lucky. I've had to revise the description of my blog. No 25 weeks of training. I'm not sure how long I have. As of right now, the 1/2 marathon in May is out. I finally made it back to the gym after being released by my doctor. It wasn't pretty. It feels like all the progress I'd made up to November was gone. I couldn't even run half a mile. I feel like a failure in so many ways. But, I know it isn't the end of the world. When I look back, I know how long it took for me to be able to run that half mile and I know it won't take as long to do it this time. Then, I'll just have to work my way back up, then keep on going. And you know what? I'm ok with it. All I have is time. There will be plenty of half marathons for me to sign up for. I do still plan on doing one before the year is over. I also still plan on running my 500 miles. I'd love to be in the "Tall Mom's Club" in which they run 1000+ miles a year, but maybe some other year. So, it's back to running/walking and cross training. I'll probably add in some Shred, as much as I hate it. Those 500 miles are going to run themselves.